Phase Two of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme is set to be extended with implementation across a third and final group of districts from Monday.
This includes:
• Health NZ districts: Northland, Taranaki, Whanganui, and MidCentral
• Police districts: Northland, Central
• Health NZ specific areas: Tokoroa and Taumarunui (Waikato), Taupō (Lakes), Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay), and Waitaki and Southern Lakes (Southern)
• Police specific areas within districts: Taupo and Tokoroa (Bay of Plenty), Wairoa (Eastern), and Central Lakes and Waitaki (Southern)
Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson says we remain committed to our joint efforts towards making sure people have access to the right help at the right time, which works best for them.
“Police have always, and will always, respond when there is an immediate risk to life or safety. The change is about an increased health-led response, enabling our staff more time to get back into our communities do the work that only Police can.
Health NZ Director of Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Karla Bergquist says a range of mental health support is available for those who need it.
“This change is about ensuring people requiring mental health support receive the right care at the right time, while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of patients and our staff.
“I’d like to assure the public there is a range of services to help people in mental distress or those who are concerned about the mental health of whānau.
“If a person is in serious mental distress or crisis, support is available from their local crisis team. If it’s a life-threatening situation or someone is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, contact emergency services on 111.”
Karla added, “I’d like to acknowledge all our teams for their work to prepare for and implement these changes across the motu. It has been positive to hear from our districts that there are strong local partnerships between police and health to support Phase Two implementation, which has generally gone well.”
Notes to media:
Phase Two of the mental health response changes began on 14 April and have been implemented in stages.
Phase two changes include:
60-minute handover of detained persons in EDs – Police who have detained a person under section 109 of the Mental Health Act and transported them for an assessment, or are responding at the request of health staff for an assessment under section 41 or 110c, will remain in the ED for a maximum of one hour before departing – unless there is an immediate risk to life or safety.
Changes to mental health assessments in custody will ensure people in distress are assessed appropriately, preferably in a health setting. If someone is placed under the Mental Health Act while in a Police custody suite, they will need to be taken to a health facility within 30 minutes.
NZ Police and Health NZ districts are not the same (Police has 12, Health has 20), so there are some parts of a Police district which are not included in the comparable Health NZ district or vice versa.
For the past fortnight, the city of Nice in France has been the global epicentre of ocean science and politics.
Last week’s One Ocean Science Congress ended with a unanimous call for action to turn around the degradation of the ocean. And this week, the United Nation’s Ocean Conference agenda focused on better protection of marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and emissions cuts.
The message is clear. With only five years to the UN’s 2030 target for its sustainable development goal – to conserve the oceans, seas and marine resources – and the Global Biodiversity Framework requirement to protect 30% of the ocean, we need to make significant progress.
We all attended last week’s meeting, together with more than 2,000 marine scientists from 120 countries. Here, we reflect on New Zealand’s role and obligations to contribute to these global goals.
New Zealand has significant influence on ocean policy – from Antarctica to the sub-tropical Pacific, and within its sea territory, which is 15 times the size of its landmass and spans 30 degrees of latitude.
The government is required by law to take action to secure a healthy ocean.
A recent advisory opinion from the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea unanimously found that states, including New Zealand, have obligations under international law to reduce the impacts of climate change on marine areas, to apply an ecosystem approach to marine law and policy, reduce pollution and support the restoration of the ocean.
New Zealand courts have recognised the need to take a precautionary and ecosystem-based approach to marine management, based on science, tikanga and mātauranga Māori. These legal cases are part of a global upswell of strategic environmental and climate litigation.
If New Zealand does not comply with these marine legal obligations, it may well find itself before the courts, incurring significant legal and reputational costs.
New Zealand committed to protecting at least 30% of the world’s coastal and marine areas by the end of this decade. Getty Images
Former prime minister Helen Clark has criticised the current government for lagging behind on marine protection, especially in failing to ban bottom trawling.
At this week’s UN ocean summit, a further 18 countries have ratified an agreement known as the High Seas Treaty, bringing the total to 50, still short of the 60 nations needed for it to enter into force.
New Zealand signed this treaty just before the last general election, but is yet to ratify it. Foreign Minister Winston Peters represented New Zealand at the UN ocean conference, but focused mainly on issues in the Pacific.
Meanwhile, the government announced sweeping changes to the national direction on environmental policy, including reworking the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement to better enable the use and development of the coastal environment for “priority activities” such as aquaculture, resource extraction, infrastructure and energy.
Oceanic environmental change is real and accelerating
It is possible for marine ecosystems to recover quite rapidly if they are protected, at least temporarily. Yet this year, New Zealand’s government found itself in hot water (once again) with both conservationists and Māori for its management of fisheries.
We argue New Zealand has an opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate it can shift the downward spiral of oceanic degradation.
The overwhelming message at the half-way point of the UN Ocean Decade is that for marine science to transform the state of our oceans it needs to include Indigenous peoples who have routinely been sidelined from ocean policy discussions despite their longstanding rights and relationships with the ocean.
New Zealand already has a foundation of transdisciplinary and Indigenous ocean research to develop ocean policies that are fit for local purposes and to answer global calls to action. We have a unique window of opportunity to lead the changes needed.
Conrad Pilditch currently receives funding from the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.
Elizabeth Macpherson receives funding from Te Apārangi The Royal Society.
Karin Bryan receives funding from the Marsden Fund, the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, the George Mason Centre for the Natural Environment and Waikato Regional Council.
Simon Francis Thrush receives funding from ERC, Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and the Auckland Foundation
Joanne Ellis, Karen Fisher, and Rachael Mortiaux do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, holds a note given to him from President Donald Trump to be placed in the cracks of the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem on April 18, 2025.Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images
For a generation, the promotion of a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a core pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
But ahead of a major United Nations conference on how to advance that solution, some are asking if Washington is eyeing a change.
On June 10, 2025, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated in an interview to Bloomberg that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state at this time, noting that “unless there are some significant things that happen that change the [Palestinian] culture, there is no room for it.” He added that those changes “are not likely to occur in our lifetime.”
Asked if the establishment of a Palestinian state is still the goal of U.S. policy, Huckabee replied, “I don’t think so.” He went on to mull the carving out of land from a Muslim-majority country for Palestinians, rather than a future homeland for them coming from the area currently controlled by Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
The comments by Huckabee, a Donald Trump political appointee and ardent pro-Israel Evangelical Christian, have been interpreted as a signal that the Trump administration is potentially breaking away from long-standing U.S. policy. Adding credence to that view has been the administration’s antipathy toward the U.N. conference on the two-state solution, due to convene in New York from June 17-20.
As a 25-year veteran of the Israeli Foreign Service who served in the embassy in Washington twice, I know that such a turn in U.S. policy is possible. But it is not without difficulties, as the Trump administration will need to present an alternative plan for resolving the conflict.
President Trump has recently shown he is prepared to break with long-standing U.S policies, as was the case in his decision to lift sanctions on Syria and meet with the country’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa – to the great surprise of many. But calling it quits on the two-state solution is different – it could lead to the further destabilization of an already unstable region.
What is the two-state solution?
For the past quarter-century, U.S. policy – endorsed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike – has advocated for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the advancement of a two-state solution. In practical terms, this means the establishment of a Palestinian state encompassing the Palestinian people currently living in the occupied West Bank and possibly the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, alongside the state of Israel.
The idea that these two coexisting states could provide a permanent end to the conflict formally came to prominence in June 2002 as part of the Road Map to Peace for the Middle East Conflict announced by U.S. President George W. Bush and adopted by the International Quartet on the Middle East, comprising the U.S., Russia, European Union and the U.N.
U.S. President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Aqaba, Jordan, in June 2003. Hussein Malla/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama took active steps to advance the two-state solution, including direct involvement in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
And in his first term, Trump presented his own plan, which he called the “Deal of the Century.” With the subheading “a realistic two-state solution,” it laid out a path to Palestinian statehood if the Palestinians’ political leadership met a set of benchmarks.
President Joe Biden continuously raised the two-state solution as the most viable way to resolve the conflict – even after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas and the war subsequently launched by Israel in Gaza.
But for years, international observers have worried about the viability of the two-state solution in the face of opposition from right-wing Israeli governments, continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, and weak and divided Palestinian leadership and polity. Yet the alternatives – including continued Israeli occupation, a one-state solution or a confederation with Jordan – are viewed as less viable options.
Galvanizing support behind statehood
For these reasons, the two-state solution remains the most acceptable formula to much of the international community.
Member states of the European Union, Arab countries, as well as most countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, have been advocating for decades for the implementation of the two-state solution and have incorporated it into their foreign policies.
The upcoming U.N. conference in New York, to be chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, intends to underscore the importance of getting to a two-state outcome.
While there is no real expectation the conference will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state anytime soon, it aims to galvanize international support for the concept of Palestinian statehood.
Huckabee’s comments were made in the context of the U.N. conference. And they are of no real surprise: Huckabee’s personal views on the subject are very well known.
But the former Arkansas governor is now the United States’ representative in Israel, and that gives his words weight.
Warning or notice of intent?
While there was wide speculation that the comments reflect a change in U.S. policy, the Trump administration did not rush to endorse them – but nor did it distance itselffrom Huckabee’s words.
As the war in Gaza continues, there is a growing realization among leading Republicans as well as mainstream Democrats in the U.S. that talk of advancing the two-state solution is premature if not unrealistic at present, especially taking into account the stern opposition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious government.
But that does not suggest the Trump administration has necessarily steered away from this option for the future.
Rather, it could be that the U.S. administration has calculated that as it devotes efforts to ending the war in Gaza, at least temporarily, and securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages being held, talk of a two-state solution now is counterproductive to its efforts.
And Huckabee’s comments may be aimed more at those delegates shortly arriving in New York for the U.N. summit, serving as a warning rather than a notice of intent.
In a cable sent from the State Department to U.S. embassies around the world, American diplomats were reportedly asked to discourage countries from participating in the conference – not because the U.S. is “disowning” the two-state solution, but rather because the administration believes the conference may undermine its current efforts.
The cable stated that the U.S. opposes any steps that unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, which it feels “adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict.”
The wording was not coincidental. U.S. policy has been consistent over the years in stating that any resolution of the conflict should be reached through negotiations between the main parties – the Israeli government and Palestinian representatives – which need to refrain from taking any unilateral steps.
A man walks in front of a sign with portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in central Jerusalem on May 7, 2025. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images
Getting ahead of policy
Notwithstanding all this, Huckabee’s comments were not made in a vacuum.
While the U.S. administration has not formally moved away from the two-state formula, there is a growing number of conservatives in Congress, as well as in the Washington think-tank community, that see an opportunity to bring a change in U.S. policy in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks.
In his first term, Trump was relatively tepid in his approach. So far in his second term, he has given little sign of where he stands on the issue. Huckabee’s comments, in this regard, may have been a subtle nudge – with the ambassador getting ahead of where he hopes policy is heading.
Dan Arbell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)
June 12, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Norma Torres announced that her crucial amendment ensuring access to rape kits for civilian Department of Defense (DOD) employees stationed overseas has passed the Fiscal Year 26 Defense Appropriations Committee markup. This bipartisan, commonsense amendment restores medical support rescinded by a controversial March 2025 DOD policy change that stopped providing rape kits to many civilian personnel serving alongside U.S. military forces abroad.
“Today, we take an important step to guarantee that every American serving overseas, whether in uniform or as a civilian, receives the care and support they deserve,” said Congresswoman Torres. “Our civilian employees—intelligence officers, law enforcement, nurses, teachers, cooks, and more—often serve in dangerous environments alongside our troops. There is no justification for turning our backs on them when they become victims of violent crime.”
In March 2025, the Department of Defense reversed its policy, discontinuing rape kit services for many civilian employees in conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria. This decision has been met with strong opposition from veterans’ groups and service members who fear the impact on their colleagues and loved ones.
“This amendment is about a fundamental promise: when Americans serve their country in dangerous places, their country has their back when they need us most,” Congresswoman Torres continued. “What do we tell the young intelligence analyst in Baghdad if she is assaulted and denied the medical care she needs? We can and must do better.”
The amendment’s passage sends a clear message that America will not abandon those who serve, regardless of their role. It restores critical medical care for civilian personnel, reflecting the nation’s commitment to their safety and dignity.
Congresswoman Torres urges her colleagues in the House to support the amendment in the full Defense Appropriations bill and reaffirm America’s unwavering support for all who serve overseas.
CALGARY, Alberta, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSX:PSD) (OTCQX:PLSDF) (“Pulse” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the sale of a significant seismic data license, valued at $13.5 million.
On a preliminary basis, second quarter revenue to date approximates $17.2 million, including the license announced today. This brings year-to-date total licensing revenue to $40.0 million, reflecting an increase of 66% compared to the last three years average annual revenue.
“I am pleased to announce this seismic data license sale,” stated Neal Coleman, Pulse’s President and CEO. “The sale delivers a strong contribution to the Company’s financial performance, particularly in terms of EBITDA and shareholder free cash flow. Our favourable financial outlook is underpinned by the Company’s low-cost operating structure and strong EBITDA margin generation,” he added. “The Company’s year-to-date performance reflects the continued execution of our strategic vision and highlights the strength of our business model which continues to position us for sustained value creation for our stakeholders,” concluded Coleman.
The Company’s regular quarterly dividend was increased by 17% in the first quarter of 2025. This increase brings the annualized dividend to $0.07 per share, representing an estimated annual distribution to shareholders of approximately $3.6 million, based on the 50,755,057 common shares currently outstanding. Year-to-date, the Company has declared and paid total dividends of $0.2325 per share, including two regular quarterly dividends and a special dividend of $0.20 per share. The total return of capital to shareholders through dividends paid to date in 2025 is $11.8 million.
These figures are preliminary and have not yet been audited or reviewed by our auditors. The Company will release its second quarter 2025 financial results on July 22, 2025, after markets close.
Pulse’s data library provides extensive seismic coverage critical for today’s data focused exploration and development companies throughout Western Canada. Significant quarterly and annual fluctuations in data sales are intrinsic to the seismic data library business. The Company remains focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet, a low-cost structure and providing excellent customer care.
CORPORATE PROFILE
Pulse is a market leader in the acquisition, marketing and licensing of 2D and 3D seismic data to the western Canadian energy sector. Pulse owns the largest licensable seismic data library in Canada, currently consisting of approximately 65,310 square kilometres of 3D seismic and 829,207 kilometres of 2D seismic. The library extensively covers the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin where most of Canada’s oil and natural gas exploration and development occur.
For further information, please contact:
Neal Coleman, President and CEO Or Pamela Wicks, VP Finance and CFO
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (June 12, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a co-chair of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, today issued the following statement after Administrator Zeldin announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed repealing carbon pollution limits for coal-, oil-, and gas-fired power plants and gutting mercury and air toxics protections.
“The Trump administration’s Polluters First Agenda harms all of us—especially fenceline and frontline communities—all while lining the pockets of fossil fuel executives,” said Senator Markey. “Under the guise of saving Americans money on their energy bills, Trump and Zeldin are ripping away protections from the carbon pollution turbocharging climate disasters and the toxics poisoning lungs. If Trump were serious about tackling the rising cost of living for American families and ensuring the reliability of our electrical grid, he would bring affordable clean energy and storage online—not turn the EPA into Every Polluter’s Ally. I will continue to fight this Polluters First Agenda because Americans deserve an EPA that puts their health over corporate wealth.”
Under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Clean Air Act, Congress mandated the EPA to set standards that regulate large sources of air pollution like power plants. These rules were incredibly effective at reducing mercury in the air by over 90 percent, as well as other cancer-causing pollutants like lead, nickel, and arsenic. Carbon pollution has led to increasingly frequent billion-dollar climate disasters which are only worsening in severity each year.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Health Care and Food Justice Cuts|Climate and Education Cuts
Washington (June 12, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, yesterday hosted virtual teach-ins on Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care, food security, education, and climate initiatives as part of their Big Billionaire Bill (also called budget reconciliation). Senator Markey, Representative Summer Lee (PA-12), and advocates discussed how these cuts would mean people lose their jobs, their health care, their ability to feed their families, and put the future of our country at risk—all to guarantee tax breaks for billionaires. The budget bill is currently being debated by Senate Republicans after House Republicans passed the Big Billionaire Bill in May.
“It’s simple: Republicans want to rip health care from 16 million people, tear food away from hungry families, cut off access to education for working class Americans, kill jobs, raise energy bills, and slash efforts to make our air and water cleaner– all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. They want to do this through hard-to-understand processes, back-room negotiations, and by lying to the American public about what these cuts will do,” said Senator Markey. “I am using every opportunity I can to guarantee people know Republicans are voting against their livelihoods, their lives, and their future if they support this bill. We have the power to stop these cuts. We cannot agonize – we must organize to end this big billionaire boondoggle once and for all. Our future depends on it.”
“There’s nothing beautiful about forcing families to choose between taking their kids to the doctor or feeding them—but that’s exactly what this budget bill would do if it lands on Trump’s desk. Drastic cuts to healthcare like Medicaid and food assistance like SNAP will hurt millions of people in Western Pennsylvania and across the country,” said Representative Lee. “The power of the people is always greater than the people in power, and in this moment, we must all use our power to pressure Republicans to vote no and put the people first—not the billionaires, not the corporate profiteers, and not the oligarchs in the White House. Lives literally depend on it.”
“The Republican agenda is clear: raise costs on hardworking families and rip coverage away from millions. If they are successful in making the largest cuts to health care in history, 16 million Americans will lose coverage, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. These Republican attacks on Americans’ health care are as extreme as they are unpopular, and we must do everything we can to stop them from wreaking havoc on this country’s health care system. No one should lose access to life-saving care and coverage just so the ultra-rich can pay less in taxes,” said Anne Shoup, Senior Advisor, Protect Our Care.
“The Senate must vote ‘NO’ on any budget bill that cuts or weakens SNAP and takes food away from millions of children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Period,” said Salaam Bhatti, SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). “SNAP is one of the most effective programs out there, fueling the health and well-being of families, as well as our economy. Simply put, a strong and productive country is only possible when everyone has access to food. We urge Senators to oppose any cut to SNAP and instead work towards building a nation free from hunger.”
“I’ve seen the faces of the people this bill will hurt. I think about the mothers trying to stretch every dollar to keep the lights on, the laid-off workers who need help to get back on their feet, the kids who will go without health care, and the retirees who will go to bed hungry because they can’t afford groceries,” said Zab Martinez, an AFSCME member and Medicaid and SNAP eligibility specialist from Dane County, Wisconsin. “We cannot let this bill pass. I urge you to speak up, write your senators, and demand that they stand with working families, not for billionaire tax giveaways.”
“Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam will take health care away from millions, food out of the mouths of children, and raise costs for everyday families all to give trillions in tax breaks to the wealthy and large corporations. This is a dangerous and irresponsible piece of legislation designed to benefit the richest Americans, while everyday families suffer – and we are going to continue to uplift the voices of the bipartisan majority of Americans who overwhelmingly oppose this harmful bill,” said Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires.
“Why would Republicans in Washington gut the basic needs kids and disabled Americans rely on to get by when the cost of groceries and housing are going up? To give the wealthy a tax break. It’s an outrage, which is why over 60% of Americans who hear anything about congressional Republican’s Big Beautiful Betrayal hate it. Now is the time for citizens to learn the consequences of the congressional Republican plan and spread the word so we can stop this Medicaid massacre dead in its tracks,” said Joe Radosevich, Counselor at the Center for American Progress (CAP).
“Rather than protect Medicare and Medicaid, this bill cuts them, denying healthcare to 14 million people. Rather than strengthen public education, it weakens it. Rather than feeding poor families, it rips food out of their mouths. Education is an opportunity agent, and federal supports should not be used as a piggy bank to defund our already underfunded public schools. The bill includes $20 billion for a reckless school voucher program in the guise of a tax shelter for the well-off. Vouchers syphon crucial funds away from public schools into private hands. They are directly responsible for some of the largest student achievement drops ever recorded and mostly go to parents with kids already in private school,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
“We have 1,600 workers at Ultium and their jobs are going to be at risk. These are good UAW jobs making $30 an hour, and this bill is going to threaten that. It could have a dramatic impact on the auto industry, on dozens of investments across the entire country,” said David Green, Director of United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 2B. “If we don’t use our voices, they’re going to continue to take them away from us. And we have to fight for what’s right. And I am always going to be on the front line fighting for good union jobs with benefits because that’s how we move this country forward and that’s how we build the middle class.”
“The energy tax credits on the chopping block during this budget reconciliation process have been utilized by school districts all over the country to install renewable energy projects from roof-top solar arrays to ground-source heat pumps, saving millions of tax-payer dollars on utility bills. These savings can be used to increase teacher salaries and build resilience in communities as schools produce their own power and lighten the load on the energy grid, all while moving us toward a more equitable future powered by clean, renewable energy. In Nevada alone, Washoe County School District is set to receive a $1.7 million check for just one school and Clark County School District, the nation’s 5th largest, has at least five solar eligible projects, including an array on Northeast Career and Technical Academy that is also training future solar installers. Please urge your Senators to save energy tax credits in their version of the budget reconciliation bill,” said Liz Becker, IRA Campaign Coordinator of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN).
“The big bad boondoggle bill puts West Virginian communities, especially those most vulnerable to pollution, at risk. With cuts to programs that would facilitate a fair economic transition in Appalachia, such as a grant program to replace gas vehicles with electric vehicles and clean energy tax credits, West Virginians are losing out on the chance for safe and good-paying jobs. Furthermore, cuts to air monitoring, greenhouse gas emission data collection, and environmental review resources make our communities less safe and informed about the air we breathe and the water we drink. West Virginians have suffered with generations of corporate pollution and economic exploitation, and this bill would roll back a critical chance to escape the cycle of environmental injustice on which this country was built,” said Dani Parent, Co-executive Director of West Virginia Citizen Action.
This will improve safety, road efficiency and productivity along this busy corridor as both pedestrians and cyclists will have a separated path from the busy road.
Most of the construction will be carried out from 7am – 5pm, Monday to Friday and will not affect traffic travelling along SH16 The Strand. However, there may be occasional shoulder closures. Pedestrians will still be able to walk along The Strand but there may be traffic control in the sections we’re working in.
The shared use path will connect to the existing Grafton Gully path just prior to Alten Road. It will follow the existing path on Churchill Street to the new signalised crossing (to be installed by Commercial Safety Vehicle Programme), then run along Beach Road and The Strand, connecting to the rail overbridge.
Work will include:
Construction of a shared use path along the footpath and berm of SH16 The Strand
Upgrade of the intersection at Beach Road/The Strand.
Installation of new zebra pedestrian crossings at Ronayne Street, Ngaoho Place, Sudbury Terrace and Cotesmore Way.
While we are working on Section 1 (as shown on the map), access to Ronayne Street will only be available from Beach Road. Access to Ngaoho Place will be maintained. There may be limited access during construction of the zebra crossing, which will be carried out at night.
Some activities will need to take place at night when traffic volumes are lower. Advanced notice will be provided for night works. There will be increased noise where we’re working – we apologise in advance for any disturbance this may cause.
The work is scheduled to be completed in October 2025. This work is weather dependent and advertised dates may change.
Thank you for inviting me to address the Hospitality Conference 2025 right here in Wellington today. I would like to begin by acknowledging:
Nick Keene, National President of Hospitality New Zealand,
Steve Armitage, Chief Executive of Hospitality New Zealand,
members of your Board, and
the members of your team who keep it all running.
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you here today, to celebrate your success as an industry, and to share what has come through strongly – about how I – and the Government – can support you, our hard-working hospitality industry.
The last time I saw some of you, I was impressed by the ideas for reform coming from the inaugural Hospitality Summit – that was hosted at Parliament – in December. You made clear your calls for levelling the playing field with off-licences – simplifying the complexities of licensing – and ensuring we support hospitality businesses to innovate and grow.
You’ve also made your opinions clear – through other channels – in conversations directly with me – in submissions to Councils – and in your submissions on central government law reform. You have spoken – a lot – and I have been and still am – listening.
This conference is another opportunity for our nation’s hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators to come together. It is therefore an honour as the Minister responsible for alcohol policy, to outline some of the Government’s work for the sector. I am here to reflect back what you have shared – and to talk about how we intend to respond.
As you heard earlier from my ministerial colleague, Hon Louise Upston – Minister for Tourism and Hospitality – this Government is focused on growth. The hospitality and events sector contributes billions to our economy every year. We know that tourism and hospitality are areas where there is potential to grow our economy and increase employment.
You’ve made it clear that smart changes to our current settings could make it easier to do business – run events – and drink responsibly. I share your views that supporting a safe consumption environment brings both social and commercial benefits.
We know that most New Zealanders do drink responsibly, that going out for dinner with a friend, going to a festival, or getting a bottle of wine to enjoy at home – that is part of Kiwi culture, and rightly so. That demand is great for business, great for our culture sector, and great for fostering innovation.
I am cognisant of the fact that – at the same time – we need to keep New Zealanders safe. You will have seen that this government is committed to reducing violent crime. On this front, the Hon Paul Goldsmith and I announced a Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime last year. That group has already come back to us with a package of reforms which will give Kiwi businesses additional tools to deal with those who are robbing them of their livelihood and economic growth.
We know that your industry has felt the effects of crime – that crime is bad for business and that it’s bad for the people making their way to and from your business.
With this in mind, I’m carefully considering what would make the alcohol space safe for everybody. However, crafting a considered – coordinated approach takes work – and I am still working through that – but I want to outline a few key themes that have emerged from our ongoing dialogue:
First, we need to provide more consistency and certainty for events.
Events are also a big part of the hospitality sector with huge benefits to your businesses – the economy at large – and to the people attending them.
You’ve raised concerns that special licensing can be inconsistent, and that it’s not always transparent to you why some conditions are required or not. I am considering a better approach in this area, one that could recognise the range of events and their characteristics.
Variation will always be a part of this landscape, but I have asked for advice about how to be more consistent and transparent. You’ve told us that dealing with multiple local Councils provides extra complexity – especially when touring an event or artist in multiple towns around the country – so I’m thinking about that too.
You’ve also expressed frustration – about the time-consuming process that central Government takes to pass licence exemptions for televised events like the Rugby World Cup. These are exciting events where we want to host both tourists and encourage New Zealanders to come out and celebrate together. I’m looking at how we can streamline the process to make that happen without the usual rigmarole around getting an exemption.
Secondly, the process of getting and keeping a liquor licence should be easier.
Getting an alcohol licence is an important step obviously – for you, but it contributes to the outcomes we all want – everyone enjoying their night out, drinking responsibly – with you. But I am aware that there are frustrations with the process, and I’m working on clearing the path and making it fairer for all.
You need a licensing process that is balanced – that can hear the right voices and take into account what the community wants. That includes the business community – especially small businesses.
Keeping your licences – is just as important as getting them. I have heard your concerns that changes in the way local councils considers alcohol policy can create uncertainty for you. However, we also recognise that it’s important for local communities to make the rules for their communities and not central government – but the rules must be fair, and evidence based if it is to quell harm.I’m thinking about how we can find solutions that work for everyone, I expect we will need to meet in the middle on some things – but certainty for businesses and safe communities are a goal.
Third, we need to keep everyone safe.
The hospitality industry is about people, and ensuring people are welcome and safe is what you do for a living. I know that the safety of your patrons, and your staff, is paramount. If it wasn’t your businesses would fail.
Crime and harm will ruin a good night, and even a life, whether it’s out on Courtney Place, K-Road, or in their own homes. Our festivals and events aren’t fun – if people get hurt. A safe society is a prosperous society.
I’m thinking about that too in our alcohol policy, about whether I need to change anything to drive down the violent crime which is causing harm in our communities.
Lastly, innovation should be supported.
Operating in a regulatory regime can mean that the law isn’t keeping up with the innovative practice shown by business. The country needs businesses which use new ideas, knowledge and technology to develop better ways of doing things to help the New Zealand economy grow.
Reducing the regulatory burden on you means you can invest more in technology and innovation to diversify the economy – and, more importantly – give your customers a good time. You’ve made it clear that you want to do things differently – that there are products and ways of working that you want to try. And I reckon that consumers want that too!
For example, you will see today the work that the Department of Internal Affairs has done to get a framework for digital identity credentials up and running.
Five years ago we were only dreaming about the possibility of digital ID – but we are starting to see a shift to embracing technological solutions – and this government is serious about using these technologies. It’s important our regulatory systems keep up with this kind of innovation and encourage uptake, to make it easier for you to do business.
Finally, I want you to know – that the Government and I – are listening. Even targeted, specific interventions are important for the businesses they effect. You will have heard about the changes the Minister for Regulation is making to hairdressing and barber regulations, as an example.
I can think about some of the issues you’ve raised with me in this same way. No problem – nor business – is too small.
The feedback you’ve provided about regulatory barriers holding back innovation – is front of mind for me. Where we can make changes easily, we should. Where challenges are more complex, we will work together – to navigate them.
I reckon that I want many of the same things you do, and I’m appreciative of the concerns and successes you’ve shared with me to date. You have identified the problems – and I am working on some of the solutions for you.
Thank you for inviting me here today – I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to discuss my thoughts with you. I look forward to future discussions and encourage you all to keep going – momentum will build as our economy continues to grow – keep doing your amazing work.
I understand there is now some time for questions.
A controlled training exercise will be conducted in the Tangihua Ranges, Waiotira from Friday 13 through to Sunday 14 June.
The multi-agency exercise is being led by Police, with support from Land Search and Rescue and will simulate a land-based search and rescue scenario.
Police, along with other agency personnel, will be in the area during the course of the weekend.
Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcalfe, who is leading the search exercise, says: “Training is part of a controlled, routine training exercise and is not an emergency event.
“These exercises enable Police and partner agencies to test our response and systems should an emergency ever arise and there is no immediate risk to the public.
“We will aim to cause as little disturbance as possible and hope people will understand the importance of us carrying out these types of exercises.”
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KAREN GASTON, 44, of East Granby, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC. LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees. Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee. Elegant Clinical was no longer operational. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities. She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity.
Specifically, Gaston’s loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities.
Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme. Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, cars, and paying off her home mortgage.
Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Gaston has agreed to make full restitution. She also has agreed to the forfeiture of a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63.
Gaston is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that several men have been sentenced in related Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) cases involving the trafficking of controlled substances. James Cordell Zeno, 37, of Jennings, Blaze Duhon, 27, of Kinder, Jamarcus Jamall Epps, 31, of Many, and James Spikes, 28, of Zwolle, have all been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. Another defendant, Desmond Antoine Jackson, 40, of Zwolle, has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Zeno was sentenced to 282 months (23 years, 6 months) in prison, and Duhon was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, in July 2022, the United States Postal Inspector intercepted a suspicious package that was destined for Duhon’s residence. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and found it contained suspected methamphetamine. The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office then obtained a search warrant for the residence, and Duhon was located inside. Days after the search warrant, the United States Postal Inspector intercepted a second suspicious package destined for Duhon’s residence. Agents obtained a search warrant for this package and found it also contained suspected methamphetamine. A search of Duhon’s phone revealed text messages between him and Zeno. Two text messages sent by Zeno to Duhon contained photos of United States Postal Service receipts containing tracking information for two packages. The tracking information matched both packages of methamphetamine that were intercepted by the United States Postal Inspector.
The suspected methamphetamine from both packages was seized and sent to the crime laboratory for testing and the results were positive for methamphetamine with a total weight of 280 grams. Zeno and Duhon were indicted, and both pleaded guilty.
Jamarcus Jamall Epps and Desmond Antoine Jackson were also charged as the result of an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Sabine Parish area. In December 2021, the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team conducted a controlled purchase of a Taurus PT738 .380 caliber pistol from Epps. An audio/video recording of the transaction was captured by law enforcement. An examination of the firearm by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) determined that the firearm sold by Epps was a working firearm. At the time of the sale of this firearm, Epps was a convicted felon, with a prior conviction of aggravated second degree battery in 2019 and he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Epps pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 77 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Approximately one month later, law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Jackson and that transaction was also recorded. The suspected controlled substance was sent to the crime laboratory for analysis and determined to be pure methamphetamine weighing at least 50 grams. Jackson was charged and pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine in February 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.
James Spikes was also involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish area. In August 2022, an audio/video recording was made of a controlled purchase from Spikes in connection with this investigation. The suspected controlled substance purchased from Spikes was sent to the crime laboratory for testing and confirmed to be approximately 62 grams of pure methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. These cases were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
***VIDEO AVAILABLE***
Senator Cortez Masto Spoke at a Press Conference Today About Her Proposal, which Comes as Senate Republicans Unveil Plan to Cut Americans’ Health Care
FTPs for TV stations is available here.
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) unveiled draft legislation to invest in and improve the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC). HCFAC was created to combat fraud across federal health programs, primarily Medicare and Medicaid. Cortez Masto’s legislation would strengthen the program and provide the government with a real, effective way to root out fraud and abuse in the health care system without kicking millions of Americans off of their health care. Footage of her speaking about this legislation today can be found here.
In 2022, HCFAC related activities recovered $11 for every $1 the program spent to support health care audits and investigations. Following its investigations, HHS-OIG estimates that 2,332 individuals and entities were banned from doing business with Medicare and Medicaid as a result of alleged fraud and abuse. Infractions include egregious neglect of beneficiaries (like residents at nursing homes), inappropriate billing practices, and supporting fraudulent providers and suppliers.
“As the former Attorney General of Nevada, I know first-hand the importance of investing in oversight for our government programs,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This draft legislation increasing HCFAC funding is exactly what our agencies need to root out real fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid while protecting Americans’ access to care. I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure this commonsense, cost-effective bill becomes law.”
HCFAC is a joint initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to combat fraud across federal health programs, primarily Medicare and Medicaid. The program needs additional support and funding in order to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated health care fraud schemes.
This draft legislation would increase mandatory HCFAC funding for HHS, CMS, and DOJ. This legislation would also allow HCFAC funding to be used to conduct oversight of all CMS programs, including the Affordable Care Act Insurance Marketplace and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The bill text can be found here and a summary can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has worked to strengthen the Medicare and Medicaid programs. She passed legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and cap the cost of insulin at $35-a-month for Medicare recipients through the Inflation Reduction Act. She has also pushed pharmacy benefit managers to help continue to lower prescription drug costs. As Nevada Attorney General, Cortez Masto worked with the Nevada Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to go after bad actors, rooting out fraud and abuse within the system.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a letter joined by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Governor Joe Lombardo (R-Nev.), and Representatives Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), and Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) demanding that the Department of Labor (DOL) reverse course on its decision to defund and close Nevada’s Job Corps Program. The bipartisan outcry from Nevada officials at all levels underscores the importance of the Sierra Nevada Job Corps to Northern Nevada and its impact on tens of thousands of unprivileged students, staff, and employers from throughout the state.
“For more than sixty years, Job Corps has aided millions of low-income individuals gain the skills they need to succeed in the workplace,” wrote the officials. “Job Corps is the largest free residential education and job training program for young adults aged 16-24; and thus, is vital to helping students graduate high school, develop career technical skills, and connect students with employers. At a time when almost three-fourths of jobs require training beyond a high school diploma, Job Corps provides students the opportunity to succeed when they may not initially have the tools to do so.”
“The Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center in Reno has been a vital economic engine for Northern Nevada, serving approximately 25,000 Nevadans since its opening, and graduating more than 500 vocational students a year,” they continued. “In the 2024 program year alone, nearly 82 percent of its students secured full-time employment with a starting wage of at least $17.97 per hour — nearly $6 above the Nevada’s minimum wage. Furthermore, 75 percent of Sierra Nevada Job Corps participants earn at least one certification required by employers.”
“The DOL’s imminent stop work order on all Job Corps programming will displace approximately nearly 300 students and 170 staff members at the Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center,” they concluded. “The closure will also compel the Center to evict all of its students, leaving the vast majority at serious risk of homelessness. […] While we appreciate your department working to increase accountability and bring workforce programs into alignment with the Administration’s priorities, we strongly urge you reconsider the decision to cut funding and close Job Corps programs in Nevada and nationwide.”
Full text of the letter can be foundhere.
Senator Cortez Masto has been consistent in her fights against harmful gutting of support to students and families in need throughout Nevada, including cuts to mental health grant funding and food and nutrition programs. She has also delivered critical support to at-risk youth across Nevada. She helped secure nearly $12 million in funding for the Communities in Schools (CIS) program, which works with local partner organizations to provide eligible students and their families with essential services, including mental health care and access to high-quality afterschool and leadership programs. Cortez Masto’s provision to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools was included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
June 12, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with the CEO of SSM Health, Laura Kaiser, to discuss the impact that President Trump’s and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have on Medicaid, their hospitals, and the patients they serve. In short, the Republican bill will slash Medicaid coverage in order to pay for significant tax breaks for billionaires. In addition to serving the people of Illinois, SSM Health also has hospitals in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts $800 billion from Medicaid and $300 billion from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), resulting in 16 million Americans losing health insurance coverage. Under the Republican bill, 498,674 people in Illinois, 250,397people in Missouri, 199,430 people in Oklahoma, and 258,396 people in Wisconsin are projected to lose their health insurance coverage.
“President Trump and congressional Republicans are coming for your health care to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. It’s as cruel as that,” said Durbin. “It doesn’t matter if you live in a red or blue state—16 million Americans will lose health coverage—and hospitals will suffer as I discussed with SSM Health. These hospitals don’t just represent Illinoisans—they also serve the people of Missouri, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma. During our call, we discussed the horrible impacts this bill will have on their patients, especially children and in rural areas. I hope the Missouri and Oklahoma Senators as well as the senior Senator of Wisconsin will do the right thing for these hospitals and the people they represent and reject this cruel bill.”
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
Patients must first report their employment to obtain Medicaid coverage resulting in difficulties navigating the bureaucratic mess of hastily crafted verification systems.
It halts provider taxes used by 49 states including Illinois to draw down a federal match to finance the Medicaid program—this provision blocks new or increased provider taxes, which will harm access to all patients in urban and rural hospitals.
It increases co-pays for Medicaid beneficiaries for doctor visits and prescriptions and allows providers to refuse to see patients who fail to pay—resulting in low-income patients forgoing care.
And it fails to extend the enhanced premium tax credits for purchasing insurance on the exchange. These tax credits make insurance more affordable and resulted in the uninsured rate reaching a record low under President Biden.
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on President Trump Signing into Law Legislation That Repeals Burdensome Biden Emissions Rules
Washington, June 12, 2025
WASHINGTON—Today, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) praised President Trump’s signing of three Congressional Review Act resolutions that repeal emissions regulations implemented under the Biden administration, granting California biased waivers. The regulations sought to force a nationwide shift to electric vehicles—posing a direct threat to Michigan’s auto industry, its workers, and the future of American manufacturing.
“These resolutions represent a major victory for American workers, consumers, and small businesses,” Chairwoman McClain said. “The emissions rules were rushed, unworkable, and out of touch with our nation’s economic realities. Signing them into law means restoring Congressional oversight and protecting industries that drive innovation and opportunity nationwide.”
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
WASHINGTON — Today, House Republicans passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, to rescind $9.4 billion of wasteful spending identified by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) managed floor debate and issued the following statement:
“Today’s vote sends a clear message: House Republicans are putting American taxpayers first. This $9.4 billion is just the beginning,” Chairwoman McClain said. “Americans didn’t send us here to fund insect powder in Madagascar or electric buses in Rwanda. We’re going line by line, rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, and keeping our promises to the American people.”
H.R. 4 cuts $9.4 billion in wasteful spending, such as:
$8,000 for promoting vegan food in Zambia.
$500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda.
$3 million for an Iraqi version of Sesame Street.
$67,000 for feeding insect powder to children in Madagascar.
The bill complements Republicans’ broader fiscal reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, codifies DOGE cuts, and delivers on President Trump and House Republicans’ promises to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today joined coalition of 11 attorneys general in challenging the federal government’s unprecedented and unlawful use of the Congressional Review Act to disapprove California’s waivers for its various clean vehicle standards, which Washington subsequently adopted.
Waivers have never been subject to the Congressional Review Act nor have any other agency orders that adjudicate requests for permission —such as oil and gas leases or mining permits. The actions taken here contradict the non-partisan Government Accountability Office and Senate parliamentarian, who both determined that the law’s process to disapprove federal regulations does not apply to these waivers.
“Transportation is the single greatest contributor to greenhouse gas pollution in Washington, and our residents understand the transition to zero-emission vehicles is critical in the fight against climate change,” Brown said. “This is the Trump administration’s latest unlawful attempt to derail Washington’s and the nation’s transition to a clean future.”
Motor vehicle emissions contribute to the formation of smog, as well as fine particle pollution and toxic air pollution, all of which are linked to premature death, respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, among other serious health impacts. Transportation is also the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and cars and trucks account for 80% of those transportation emissions.
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set federal emission standards for air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health or welfare. The Clean Air Act allows only California to adopt more stringent emission requirements independent from EPA’s regulations, because only California had vehicle emissions standards before the passage of the federal Clean Air Act. California can enforce these standards with an EPA preemption waiver. The act requires EPA to approve waivers for California’s rules absent certain, limited circumstances not present here.
Once EPA grants California a waiver, Washington may adopt California’s standards and does not need a waiver of its own. Since 2023, the EPA granted California three waivers, allowing it to enforce the most recent standards for passenger vehicles, Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), as well as standards for heavier duty vehicles under the Omnibus and Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) standards. Historically, EPA, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has granted California more than seventy-five preemption waivers for updates to the State’s new motor vehicle emissions control program. As Congress intended, these waivers have allowed California, and those states that adopted California’s standards, to improve on their vehicle emissions programs.
Under ACCII, which Washington adopted in 2022, automakers must continue to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles—as they have been for decades. By model year 2035, 80% of the passenger vehicles sold in Washington must be zero-emission, while the remaining 20% may be plug-in hybrids. The Advanced Clean Truck regulations aim to accelerate the widespread adoption of zero emission vehicles in the medium and heavy-duty truck sector, and are similarly critical for Washington’s efforts to meet air quality standards and protect public health.The Omnibus regulation requires internal combustion heavy-duty trucks sold in Washington to meet strict standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions, which are major contributors to smog formation.
Under the direction of President Trump, the EPA transmitted these California waivers to Congress as “rules” in an attempt to invoke CRA procedures, even though all three waivers state EPA’s consistent and longstanding position, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, that waiver decisions are not “rules.” The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate illegally used the CRA to target California’s Clean Air Act waivers.
The complaint filed today alleges that the attempt to invalidate California’s waivers violated constitutional principles of federalism and separation of powers, the Take Care Clause, and multiple federal statutes including the Congressional Review Act and Administrative Procedure Act. The complaint asks the court to declare the resolutions to be unlawful and to require the Administration to implement the Clean Air Act consistent with the granted waivers.
Attorney General Brown joins California Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont in filing the lawsuit.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
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Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Mikalia S. Mitchell, 32 years old, of Pacolet, SC, on two counts of Forgery, value less than $10,000 {16-13-0010(A)}, and one count of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {43-07-0060}. Mitchell was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on June 12, 2025.
An investigation by VAMPF revealed that, between August 1, 2024, and January 25, 2025, Mitchell is alleged to have knowingly and willfully caused false claims for payments to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that administers the State’s Medicaid program. As a personal care attendant, Mitchell is accused of forging signatures on timesheets and submitting falsified records, claiming she provided services to two Medicaid beneficiaries when she did not.
This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Forgery, value less than $10,000, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Medical Assistance Provider Fraud is a class A misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
Pursuant to federal regulations, VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud; abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting; and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.
Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.
Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official;
Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, the owner and president of PM Consulting Group LLC doing business as Vistant (Vistant), a certified small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud;
Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, the owner and president of Apprio, Inc. (Apprio), a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and
Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, the president of a subcontractor to Vistant and Apprio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.
In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.
“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses — whether individuals or corporations acting through them — will be held to account.”
“Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people — not his own — and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermine the integrity of our public institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.”
“The guilty pleas reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable all those who abuse the authority and responsibility of public service,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox. “The actions of the defendants in this scheme serve to erode public trust. The FBI is focused on rebuilding this trust and protecting American taxpayers from corruption through investigations such as these.”
“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG). “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”
“Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts. While he helped three company owners and presidents bypass the fair bidding process, he was showered with cash and lavish gifts,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Through its financial crime investigations, IRS-CI works to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure government funds are awarded based on merit — not corruption. In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI helped put an end to their greed and criminal conduct. Now, Watson and his co-conspirators will face justice.”
Overview of Bribery Scheme
According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.
Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.
During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.
In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.
Apprio and Vistant also agreed to resolve concurrently with the Justice Department in its separate Civil False Claims Act investigations relating to the bribery scheme.
Overview of Vistant Securities Fraud Scheme
According to court documents, in 2022, Barnes and Watson defrauded a licensed small business investment company (SBIC), in furtherance of the bribery scheme, by inducing it into executing a credit agreement with Vistant. Through the credit agreement, Barnes caused Vistant to issue stock warrants that, if exercised, would result in the SBIC having a 40% equity stake in Vistant. The credit agreement also provided for a $14 million loan to Vistant from which Barnes could pay himself a $10 million dividend. Prior to executing the credit agreement, Watson agreed at Barnes’s request to speak with the SBIC about Vistant’s performance as a government contractor on USAID contracts. When speaking with the SBIC, Watson omitted that Barnes had bribed Watson to obtain USAID contracts for years. Watson’s endorsement of Vistant thereafter induced the SBIC to enter into the credit agreement with Barnes.
Overview of Apprio Securities Fraud Scheme
According to court documents, in 2023, Apprio, acting through Britt, engaged in a scheme in which Apprio fraudulently induced a private equity firm, which had an investment pool that was licensed as a SBIC, to purchase from Apprio’s parent company a 20% equity stake in the company for $4 million and simultaneously extend it a $4 million loan secured by shares of Apprio stock. In addition to making false material representations in the stock purchase and loan agreements, Britt intentionally omitted during his negotiations the material fact that he had bribed Watson for years, which was intended to deceive and induce the private equity company into executing the agreements.
Deferred Prosecution Agreements with Apprio and Vistant
The Justice Department reached its resolution with Apprio based on several factors, including Apprio’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating in the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 10% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). According to court documents, Apprio agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $51,673,185; however, Apprio also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $500,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Apprio. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $500,000 in a civil settlement.
Similarly, the Justice Department reached its resolution with Vistant based on a number of factors, including Vistant’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct and cooperating with the investigation. Although Vistant’s cooperation was initially delayed and limited, Vistant began to fully cooperate thereafter. Vistant also received credit for engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the penalty calculated under the Guidelines reflects a 5% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the CEP. Vistant agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $86,407,740; however, Vistant also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $100,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Vistant. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $100,000 in a civil settlement.
Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Britt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The FBI, USAID-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases.
Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases.
GREAT FALLS – A Honduran man who entered the U.S. illegally after two prior removals and corresponding convictions was sentenced today to 99 days in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Carlos Alexis Ponce-Lopez, 33, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one of illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Ponce-Lopez was originally ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on November 11, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas and was removed on December 23, 2011. Ponce-Lopez illegally entered again on March 31, 2014. Ponce-Lopez’s original order of removal was reinstated and he was removed on August 18, 2014. On each of those occasions, Ponce-Lopez was also convicted in federal court for illegal entry prior to being removed.
On February 21, 2025, the Montana Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on I-90 near Billings, Montana. Ponce-Lopez was a passenger in the vehicle. The driver was cited and all three subjects were released, including Ponce-Lopez.
On March 4, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents found Ponce-Lopez at a house in Shelby, Montana. As they walked towards the home, Ponce-Lopez walked outside. One of the agents called out to Ponce-Lopez, “Carlos Ponce?” Ponce-Lopez responded in Spanish, “Si, es mi (Yes, that’s me).” The agents then conducted an immigration inspection. Ponce-Lopez said he was removed before and reentered illegally. He admitted he had no documents to enter, live, or stay in the United States legally and was not pending any immigration hearings. He was arrested and transported to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station for further processing.
There are no records within the Department of Homeland Security that Ponce-Lopez ever applied for readmission into the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, and Toole County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging TIMEEK HEATH, 41, of Waterbury, with drug and firearm offenses.
The indictment was returned on June 4, 2025. Heath appeared today in Hartford federal court, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for June 17.
As alleged in the indictment, on two occasions in August and September 2024, Heath distributed fentanyl. Also, on September 5, 2024, Heath sold a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol to an individual he knew was a convicted felon.
It is further alleged that Heath’s criminal history includes felony convictions for manslaughter and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Heath with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; one count of sale of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A recruit participates in the Army’s future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson
The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the streets. The parade aims to display the Army’s history and power.
In 2024, the U.S. military met its recruitment target, which supports the argument that the bump is not due to Trump, as recruitment levels began to rise again before his reelection. But in some cases, the U.S. military has met its recruitment goals by lowering target numbers.
And as a scholar of terrorism and targeted violence, I believe a close reading of available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military.
Gun violence data
Regardless of one’s personal politics, the data on U.S. gun violence makes for painful reading.
Moreover, these perceptions have considerable impacts on youth mental health and their sense of safety. Studies have linked concern over school shootings among adolescents with higher rates of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
As Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of education during the Sandy Hook tragedy, said in 2023: “Unfortunately, what’s now binding young people across the country together is not joy of music, or sports, or whatever, it’s really the shared pain of gun violence – and it cuts through race and class and geography and economics.”
National security threat
In the past couple of years, pollstaken of Generation Z youth, born between 1997 and 2012, suggest mental health and mass shootings are among the most important political issues motivating this band of voters.
Gun violence, in other words, is a national security emergency, undermining the U.S. government’s ability to protect its citizens in their schools, places of worship and communities.
As former Marine Gen. John Allen wrote in 2019: “Americans today are more likely to experience gun violence at home than they might in many of the places to which I deployed in the name of defending our nation.”
U.S. Army National Guard members stand outside the Army National Guard office during training on April 21, 2022, in Washington. AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File
Rewriting American culture
Accordingly, gun violence has undercut American patriotism, corroding the U.S. government’s soft power within its own borders. Generation Z, termed by some as the “lockdown generation,” is often derided as less patriotic than its predecessors.
Surprising Gen Z Research.
Also, the belief in American exceptionalism is dropping among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. That perception is combined with less confidence in U.S. global engagement and the efficacy of military solutions.
American culture has long inspired military service, with recruits seduced by action movies and promises of heroic returns to the U.S. But American culture today is being rewired into one of suffering, pain and victimhood.
Internal U.S. military surveys of young Americans show that “the top three reasons young people cite for rejecting military enlistment are the same across all the services: fear of death, worries about post-traumatic stress disorder and leaving friends and family — in that order.”
Generations already suffering a shattered sense of safety and place do not see the military as a viable option.
The explanations the U.S. Defense Department gives for dismal recruitment levels focus on the younger generation’s supposed lack of backbone or hatred of America.
D’elbrah Assamoi, from Cote d’Ivoire, signs her U.S. certificate of citizenship after a military training ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2023. Vanessa R. Adame/U.S. Air Force via AP
Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have blamed alleged “wokeness” for low recruitment levels.
And the Trump administration’s statements about improving recruitment numbers over the past several months overlook both a late Biden-era surge after a pandemic slump as well as the reality that numbers remain depressed due to military services repeatedly lowering their recruitment goals.
Very rarely are introspective questions publicly debated today about the objective attractiveness of military service or the appetite for violence among young people. The problem, I believe, is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic – it’s that they have already been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.
In reversing the slide in recruitment, then, the military could improve its sensitivity to these important concerns.
Highlighting the range of careers within the services that do not involve front-line combat and physical danger could encourage more reluctant would-be recruits to volunteer.
Mental health support also could be made an essential element of military training and lifestyle − not a resource only for those bearing the hidden side-effects of life in the ranks. Encouraging those suffering from treatable mental health issues to seek meaning in service could also boost recruitment numbers.
Jacob Ware is a gun violence survivor and serves as a Survivor Fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety.
Washington, D.C. – 6/12/25… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Riley (NY-19) introduced the Leveraging Efficiency Awareness for Pumping Systems (LEAPS) Act, a commonsense, bipartisan bill to help farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers save money on energy costs, conserve water, and reduce carbon emissions by modernizing irrigation and water management systems.
The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide clear, accessible information and tools to farmers on the benefits of upgrading to energy-efficient pumping systems. These systems are essential to agricultural irrigation, livestock watering, aquaculture, and waste management operations across the country.
The LEAPS Act requires USDA to:
Publish user-friendly educational materials on cost and energy savings, water conservation, and emissions reductions achievable through energy-efficient pumping systems.
Develop an online pre-assessment tool to help farmers estimate potential energy and cost savings from upgrades.
Provide targeted training for USDA energy auditors on pumping system efficiency.
Expand USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program to explicitly include energy-efficient pumping systems.
According to the bill’s findings, over 600,000 irrigation pumping systems are currently in use across the United States, many of which still rely on outdated and inefficient equipment. Upgrading these systems could save farmers over $1.8 billion annually in energy costs and eliminate more than 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year.
“In today’s economy, farmers are already grappling with rising input costs and increasing weather challenges,” said Congressman Lawler. “This is about using smarter tools to support the people who feed our country. By equipping farmers with the right resources, we can boost productivity, cut waste, and strengthen rural economies—all while protecting our environment.”
“Farmers know it when their systems are outdated, but figuring out what to upgrade, how much it costs, and where to start is harder than it should be,” said Congressman Riley. “This bill gives farmers the tools they need to make smart decisions—and when they upgrade, it creates work for manufacturers right here in Upstate New York. It’s a win for our farmers, our factories, and anyone who wants Washington to actually get something done.”
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Headline: Powering the future of telecom: Microsoft brings agentic AI to life at TM Forum DTW
Telecommunications has always advanced in waves—analog to digital, 3G to 5G, copper to cloud. Today, a new swell is forming at the intersection of TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA) and agentic AI. TM Forum’s ODA gives operators a modular, standards-based foundation; agentic AI layers on the autonomous decision support that transform those modules into living, self-optimizing systems. Together, they move the industry from reactive operations to proactive, closed-loop experiences.
Over the past year, Microsoft engineers have road-tested that combination with executives, technicians, customer support representatives, and developers. Regardless of geography or market, operators voiced three universal priorities: break down operational silos, unlock data’s latent value, increase efficiency, and accelerate innovation without eroding trust. At TM Forum DTW Ignite 2025 in Copenhagen, Microsoft is demonstrating how the complementary relationship between ODA and agentic AI converts those ambitions into measurable business outcomes.
Explore solutions with Microsoft for telecommunications
Microsoft’s next chapter with the Open Digital Architecture
Microsoft has been a hands-on contributor to TM Forum initiatives for well over two decades, coauthoring Open APIs, chairing working groups, and donating production hardened code that turns standards into deployable solutions. The ODA has become a focal point of that collaboration. By aligning Microsoft Azure cloud-native foundations with ODA’s composable blueprint, Microsoft helps operators assemble best-of-breed solutions without the drag of proprietary silos.
Engineering teams from Microsoft work with communications service providers (CSPs) and industry suppliers to validate specifications, publish reference implementations, and channel field experience back into the standard. The result for operators is faster interoperability, reduced integration cost, and quicker time-to-value for new digital services.
Yet a common obstacle remains: fragmented observability. Every vendor captures telemetry differently, leaving operations teams to deploy ad hoc log aggregators and parsers that inflate costs and slow incident response. Microsoft’s latest ODA contribution addresses this head-on.
ODA Observability Operator (open source on GitHub) The operator prescribes a common logging contract, integrates with Azure Monitor, and exposes health data through TM Forum nonfunctional APIs. In early trials, carriers shrank the meantime to detect billing anomalies significantly, freeing teams to focus on proactive optimization rather than forensic log diving.
ODA Landing Zone for Azure Guidance and a best practice guide on infrastructure-as-code templates that hydrate into an ODA compliant environment—policy, security, and monitoring.
The “Growing B2B with autonomous agents” catalyst project, involving players like Microsoft, Vodafone, and various industry partners, leverages the ODA Accelerator to transform B2B sales for mid-tier enterprise customers by enabling flexible quoting and commerce through generative AI. It enables flexible quoting and commerce, allowing customers to find relevant products using semantic search and create customized solutions that meet their specific business requirements, budgets, and timelines.
These assets illustrate a simple truth: standards only matter when they migrate from documentation into running code. By operationalizing TM Forum guidance, Microsoft accelerates engineering productivity, slashes integration costs, and strengthens the capabilities of telecoms, as well as providing a feedback loop for continual improvement.
Empowering network monetization through network APIs
Through our engagement with CAMARA and GSMA Open Gateway, Microsoft has played a pivotal role in helping operators monetize their networks via a robust partner ecosystem. This ecosystem supports the provisioning, aggregation, and routing of network API requests, enabling seamless integration and enhanced functionality. Our collaboration with industry leaders such as Aduna, Infobip, and Vonage brings aggregated network APIs directly to the Azure Marketplace. This integration grants Microsoft’s global community of developers and enterprises effortless access to essential network functions, including SIM swap detection, phone number verification, real-time device location, and on-demand quality-of-service controls. Standardized through the CAMARA open-source project—co-led by GSMA and the Linux Foundation—these APIs are designed for seamless integration, ensuring that operators can efficiently use network capabilities to drive innovation and growth.
Giving the network a trusted Copilot
Anyone who has joined a major incident conference bridge understands the sense of urgency—and the expense. Multiple teams chase clues, minutes feel like hours, and every second of downtime erodes customer experience and brand equity. Network Operations Agents built with Azure AI Foundry offer another path to successful resolutions. As Cristina Moura Rebelo, Head of AI Community and Ecosystem Engagement at MEO, describes it:
“MEO is transforming into an AI-powered techco, infusing AI into key domain areas and leveraging innovation and technology to create a competitive advantage, business growth, and operational excellency. The first steps made with Azure AI Foundry were key in unlocking the potential of use cases to streamline operations with ChatGOC and the HekaBot, in a scalable, iterative, and agile way, within a very short period of time, delivering outcomes and scaled efficiency to the teams. This is our path to becoming an AI-powered techco.”
—Cristina Moura Rebelo, Head of AI Community and Ecosystem Engagement, MEO
These AI companions ingest real-time telemetry, topology graphs, historical tickets, and vendor manuals; reason over anomalies; then recommend—or even execute—remediation steps under strict guardrails. Every action is logged, policy checked, and auditable so that safety and compliance are part of the operational flow.
Network Operations Agent Framework: Blueprint for building and deploying NetOps AI agents.
At TM Forum DTW Ignite 2025, Microsoft will be presenting on how we are transforming telecom operations with agentic AI, and unveiling the Network Operations Agent Framework, a reference architecture and working pilot environment that operators can explore hands-on. The package includes infrastructure-as-code templates, sample knowledgebase content, and step-by-step guidance for integrating Azure AI Foundry with existing telemetry pipelines. With these assets, communications service providers can progress from proof of concept to production in a matter of weeks—and do so with the assurance that every remediation action remains within corporate risk tolerance.
Unifying data with the Telco Analytics POC Accelerator
Data is the fuel for agentic AI, yet it often sits stranded across disparate clusters, data marts, and line-of-business applications. The Telco Analytics POC Accelerator removes that friction, deploying a domain specific data estate on Microsoft Fabric complete with service assurance, revenue management, and subscriber 360 schemas; lineage policies aligned to data mesh principles; and guidance to connect your backend data sources.
Beyond core ingestion pipelines, the accelerator provides predefined tables for service assurance, revenue management, and subscriber 360, alongside sample queries and dashboards that surface quick wins. Built-in sample data allows developers to prototype AI workloads safely—accelerating experimentation while protecting customer privacy.
Reference architecture for the Telco Analytics POC Accelerator.
When operators gain control of their data estate, they monetize faster, govern better, and feed AI models richer context. Microsoft provides the launch pad.
“Fabric let us build on the familiarity, security, and scalability of Azure. It unites data flows, storage, analytics, and machine learning in a single experience.”
—Jerod Ridge, Director of Data Engineering, Lumen
This unified approach empowers operators to achieve real-time insights and smarter decisions, driving business growth and innovation.
Reimagining business support systems for an agentic world
Business support systems (BSS) are the commercial nerve center of a telco, yet many still feel like 1990s ERP software: dense menus, arcane codes, and labor-intensive workflows. Microsoft’s agentic BSS proof of concept charts a different course.
At its heart is Microsoft Copilot Studio, which leverages TM Forum Open APIs, the Model Context Protocol, and secure tool registration to let AI agents act on behalf of customer care reps. Consider an agent who says, “Upgrade Alessia’s plan to unlimited data and add a family hotspot.” The AI agent validates entitlements, calculates prorated charges, and triggers fulfilment—no swivel chair required. Subscribers upgrade in the time it takes to sip coffee.
Microsoft is equally optimistic about the potential of an Order Fallout Agent. Up to 3% of orders stall in fragmented fulfilment chains. The agent monitors the queue, diagnoses failure patterns, and either self heals or curates a guided fix. In short, the Order Fallout Agent turns a perennial pain point into an autonomous, closed loop process—freeing care agents to focus on higher value conversations and giving customers the seamless experience they expect.
KPN has extended the use of AI companions to their sales operations with Microsoft 365 Copilot. KPN used Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance their sales operations, streamlining processes, improving customer engagement, and driving business outcomes.
“From the moment a customer contact becomes an opportunity, we link to that information in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, so we can see all relevant data to prepare for a conversation with the customer,”
—Pierrette de Leeuw-Koumans, Lead Generation Team, KPN
Copilot provides real-time data analysis, predictive insights, and automated workflows, enabling the sales team to focus on strategic activities and deliver personalized experiences.
These demonstrations illustrate how BSS complexity can melt away, replaced by conversational experiences powered by open APIs and trustworthy automation. The journey is incremental—operators can start with a single fallout queue or upgrade flow and expand outward.
Momentum stretching from lab to live network
Innovation without adoption is theatre. Microsoft’s ecosystem partners are translating blueprints into operational gains:
Microsoft and leading BSS suppliers are exploring joint proof of concepts that integrate the Telco Analytics POC Accelerator and Observability Operator into next generation revenue assurance workflows.
PLDT has implemented the Amdocs Customer Engagement Platform, a robust, telco-grade solution jointly engineered by Amdocs and Microsoft elevate customer experience management. “By combining the AI, generative AI, cloud, and deep telecom expertise of Amdocs and Microsoft, PLDT an end-to-end solution that will drive higher agent productivity, operational efficiency, and significantly improve customer loyalty,” said Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs.
Nokia’s NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome is providing comprehensive security for 5G networks, leveraging AI and automation to detect, manage, and respond to threats in real-time.
Accenture, Tech Mahindra, and other global SIs are collaborating with Microsoft on service offerings that accelerate deployment of AI-ready data estates—combining migration expertise, reference architectures, and operator specific best practices.
The breadth of deployments demonstrates that Microsoft’s approach scales across geographies, regulatory regimes, and network generations.
Charting the first step
Building toward autonomous operations seldom begins with a blank slate. The most effective starting point is a business moment that already matters—whether it’s easing congestion at a busy urban cell site or clearing a stubborn order backlog. Instrument that scenario end to end, unify the supporting data, introduce a focused agent, and track the results with discipline. Momentum builds quickly when measurable wins are visible to both engineers and executives.
Microsoft and its partners stand ready to help, whether through co-innovation blueprints, rapid pilots leveraging the ODA Accelerator for Azure, or structured engagements that blend domain expertise with change management.
Telecommunications remains, at its core, a human endeavor: engineers who safeguard critical infrastructure, customer care teams who build loyalty, strategists who spot the next market opportunity. Agentic AI amplifies that expertise—it automates repetitive analysis, highlights hidden insights, and executes well understood actions—while judgment, creativity, and empathy stay firmly in human hands. By pairing people with autonomous assistance, operators can scale excellence without sacrificing the personalized touch that defines great service. Microsoft invites the industry to explore that partnership at TM Forum DTW Ignite 2025 and beyond.
Join the journey
Learn more by visiting the Microsoft Telecommunications Industry hub, where solution briefs, customer stories, and partner offers provide actionable next steps. Together, the industry can turn aspiration into action and chart the next great wave of telecom innovation.
Microsoft for telecommunications
Accelerate telecom transformation in the era of AI
Rick Lievano
CTO Telecom, WW Media & Communications
Rick Lievano, Microsoft’s WW CTO for Telecommunications, develops solutions and architectures for service providers. An active industry speaker and advocate for open standards, he is a member of the TM Forum Collaboration Sub-Committee and leads AI initiatives to help operators achieve more.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement on the House passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act:
“The United States has made tremendous progress in the fight to protect our communities from fentanyl, and while there is still much more to be done, the HALT Fentanyl Act is far too broad and ignores all medical uses of ‘fentanyl-related substances.’ These substances need to be controlled — but when prescribed and used as directed, many of them serve as critical pain management tools for countless Americans.
“This legislation is just another performative overreach by Republicans to say that they know better than doctors about what is best for their patients. We don’t need to criminalize care and expand harsh mandatory minimum sentencing requirements. We need well-thought-out and meaningful solutions that address the root causes of addiction, expand resources to help those struggling, and work with medical professionals.
“But that’s not what President Trump and Republicans are doing. Instead of expanding funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — which supports naloxone programs, treatment programs, and prevention efforts — President Trump has essentially dissolved the agency, firing more than a third of its staff and proposing a budget that cuts $1 billion of its funding. Republicans are also working to cut at least $600 billion from Medicaid, which will seriously undermine our ability to address the opioid epidemic. If President Trump and Republicans were serious about addressing these issues, there are proven solutions we can act upon to save lives — but the HALT Fentanyl Act is not one of them.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement regarding the Republican rescissions package, which passed the House of Representatives 214-212.
“A rescission package means going back on your word. Let me be clear: Congress and Congress alone has the power to appropriate funding. What is happening here is that Donald Trump and Elon Musk took illegal actions to cut Congressionally appropriated funding, so now Trump’s minions in Congress are going back and cleaning up for him. This is a thinly veiled attempt to sidestep court orders that have demanded the Trump Administration reinstate illegally gutted funding.
“The cuts to USAID have already killed an estimated 300,000 people around the world and are undermining the United States’ global leadership. This is funding for food and medicine for children, maternal health care programs, and for clinics that treat survivors of gender-based violence. It accounts for less than one percent of our federal spending and stops diseases before they reach our border, and helps to stabilize countries, preventing conflict before it starts.
“And the cuts to public broadcasting are a direct attack on free press in this country. In many rural communities, these stations are the only reliable sources of local news, critical weather alerts, and educational programming for kids. These stations not only keep people informed but also employ thousands of people in communities across the country.
“These cuts are not only bad for the American people but further erode our checks and balances in this country and the powers of Congress defined in the Constitution. Trump’s yes-men are rubber stamping his agenda and cutting away at the fabric of our democracy in doing so.”
Issues: Arts & Education, Foreign Affairs & National Security
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programsjoined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, and Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, in issuing the following statement concerning the recissions package sent to Congress by the Trump administration, which would cut $8.3 billion in foreign assistance, including $900 million in cuts to global health programs, as well as cuts to democracy assistance, economic and development assistance, and economic and energy support for Ukraine and other states affected by Russia’s illegal invasion:
“The cuts to U.S. foreign assistance in the White House’s recissions package undercut key American national security interests and risk our country’s safety and prosperity. Our soft power toolkit helps prevent conflict and promote democracy and stability. The draconian DOGE cuts that President Trump and Elon Musk have put in place have been justified through misleading claims that ignore the harm to America and global death toll that have resulted from their actions. Their claims about fiscal responsibility are laughable in the context of President Trump’s push at all costs to pass a budget that adds $2.4 trillion in deficits while stripping millions of Americans of their health care,” said the Members.
“When America retreats from the world, China and Russia advance. And when our adversaries take our place, America is weaker and more vulnerable. Our manufacturers and workers get boxed out of export markets by unfair economic competition from China. And vulnerable populations around the world, suffer from severely restricting access to HIV treatment and prevention services to forcing food ration cuts in refugee camps.
“That is the legacy of DOGE’s impact on America’s foreign policy infrastructure and soft power. Our country in retreat in the face of great power adversaries. Our global influence diminished. And the poorest of the poor globally being left to die because of slipshod cuts by tech dilettantes.”
